Today, there are many options for flooring. Very often, owners use a laminate. This is a very strong and reliable material that has a high service life. But can I lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with my own hands? What are the nuances when doing this work and what to consider? Consider in our article today.
Laminate and wooden floor
Since these panels are joined together, they do not need to be attached to the floor and walls. During the repair, a floating floor scheme is used. So, the laminate is free on a rough basis. This allows the structure to narrow and expand.
The advantage of using a laminate is that for installation it is not necessary to use adhesive compounds and sealants that clog the joints at the joints. In addition, after applying the adhesive in the future it will be difficult to disassemble such a structure.
Glueless technology for laying laminate on a wooden floor is now being applied. This not only simplifies the installation process, but also makes it possible to ventilate the elements of the wooden structure. So, the floor does not rot and lasts much longer. The laminate itself is made from MDF and particleboard panels. Sometimes other similar plates are used, which were created by pressing wood processing products.
Where can i use it?
Laying a laminate on a wooden floor with plywood is performed in such rooms:
- Children's rooms.
- Cabinets.
- Living rooms.
- Hallways.
- In the bedrooms.
It is not recommended to lay ordinary laminate in the kitchen or bathroom. The exception is products that are made using HDF. They are moisture resistant and perfectly tolerate the effects of water. As for the class, for wet rooms a laminate of class 33 is suitable. It is a durable and wear resistant material. But its cost is high.
Training
The technology of laying the laminate on a wooden floor involves the study of SNiP requirements. According to standards, a flat surface is required to lay a laminate. Differences in height should not exceed two millimeters on an area of two square meters. There are requirements regarding the maximum slope. This parameter should be no more than four millimeters uniformly distributed over a length of two meters in any direction.
You should not depart from the requirements of SNiP, as the castle system may be damaged. As a result, the grooves expand and break thin ridges. Such a floor will have a short life. It is possible to replace part of the elements, but this will require a lot of effort. In this case, the broken boards are dismantled to the place of restoration, and then the new ones are laid in the reverse order. Specialists do not advise to ignore the requirements of SNiP - this is the only way to exclude deformation of the structure.
What else is taken into account?
Before installing the laminate, you need to perform an audit of the base. Surface preparation work depends on the degree of wear of the structure:
- If this is an old plank floor, it must be disassembled to the support beam. Over the years of operation, natural material could suffer from excess moisture. If there is a high underground, it is easier to find out the state of the floor elements - this can be done without dismantling. All dubious and flimsy elements are cut out and replaced with a new beam. On low-floor floors, boards are dismantled and laid upside down with an unclean underside. All slots are filled with foam. With the help of a cycling machine, the floorboards strengthened in sweat are processed. Additionally, the surface is treated with flame retardant, as well as antiseptic impregnation. You can apply a special mastic that replaces both of these products.
- If it is a new wooden floor, it does not need to be diagnosed like that. Since the structure was recently built, it is already covered with all the necessary compounds that protect against moisture, fungus and fire. Just check the mounts. If necessary, the loose fasteners change, or the self-tapping screws are recessed by a few millimeters in the floorboards. In case the latter bend, you need to strengthen the system with the help of an additional beam, or change the boards to thicker ones. Usually one more row of the same boards is laid on top, which sneak into the cross with the first layer. But this is only possible if the draft floor with the substrate and the laminate does not significantly take away the height of the ceiling.
Alignment
Alignment of the rough basis is made by different materials. Among them it is worth noting:
- Gypsum fiber sheet.
- Pieces of roofing material.
- Rolled up several layers of glassine.
- OSB sheets.
But recently, more and more plywood has begun to be laid on a wooden floor under a laminate. Plywood allows you to level the surface. If laying the laminate on a wooden floor without plywood, usually choose OSB sheets or drywall. These are simple and cheap materials.
Installation of plywood sheets
How is plywood laid on a wooden floor under a laminate? To do this, take the sheet and treat it with drying oil (or fungicide). This is necessary in order to exclude the appearance of mold in the future. Then the sheet size is adjusted using a special saw. Then the finished sheet is laid on the surface. You can level the slope with the help of slats. At the finish stage, the sheets are securely fixed with screws. Why not use nails? When using nails, there is a risk of loosening the surface and the appearance of annoying creaks. Self-tapping screws are a more practical and reliable option that is used when laying plywood.
How to do without plywood?
You can lay the laminate flooring directly on the wooden floor, but certain conditions must be met for this:
- When walking, the floorboards must not bend, or make a creak.
- The presence of gaps between the boards is unacceptable.
- The tree itself should not have rot.
- The horizontalness of the base should be almost perfect. Only small differences in elevations are allowed (no more than two millimeters).
If the floorboards bend, or the floor creaks under the lags, you need to repair the problem areas. So, screw the boards with screws. If the logs walk under load, bricks or bars are installed under them.
Styling technology
Please note that the technology of laying a laminate on a wooden floor does not imply covering basic hydro and thermal insulation. Otherwise there will be no ventilation. Condensation harmful to the material accumulates under the insulation layer. The tree will absorb it and swell. This adversely affects performance.
Before laying the laminate on a wooden floor, you can lay only the backing yourself. It is desirable that it be made of natural material. The ideal option is a cork, but if the budget is limited, you can use bitumen-rubber pressed analogues. As for the thickness of the substrate, this parameter depends on the laminated panel itself, which will be used indoors. If it is a laminate with a thickness of 8 millimeters, a three millimeter substrate is usually chosen. It is important that she be without overlaps. Do not use fixed mount to the base. Only spot or linear gluing with tape is allowed.
Please note: you need to choose the direction of the layout of the laminate based on what direction the existing floorboards have. So, the laminate needs to be installed across the boards. In this case, the substrate stripes spread along. Joining of boards is allowed, increasing the coverage of each piece individually or in rows. But experts still recommend using a piecewise option.
Step-by-step instruction
So, consider the procedure for laying a laminate on a wooden floor:
- The starting corner will be the one farthest from the doorway. You need to take four panels with you. On the first and third, which are laid against the wall, the rowing is previously cut off. The groove is always directed towards the stacker. In this case, the groove is not cut.
- Outlines are being made. It is important to know how far the panel will be offset in adjacent rows. So we exclude the cross intersection and get a reliable floor covering. Experts recommend indenting at least 30 centimeters for offset. It is by this value that the second board is shortened.
- Depending on the type of lock system, the first and third panels are docked. After that, a piece of the second board is connected. And then a fourth, uncircumcised panel is applied.
- The assembled floor segment must be moved to the designated location. A spacer gasket is installed between this section and the adjoining walls. Its thickness is about one centimeter.
- We follow the same principle until the end of laying two rows. In this case, do not forget to cut the comb, which is deployed to the wall. Boards that complete both rows are trimmed according to the measured distance. To snap into the last strip of the die, a special mounting bracket is used.
- Then they follow the same course, but the ridges are no longer cut off. The panel of the last row is measured at the place of installation. After that, it is cut off taking into account the temperature gap. The laminate is attached and latched with clamps.
Methods of bypassing pipes and laying tiles under the batteries comply with the standard rules for flooring with laminate.
Temperature gap
The technology of laying the laminate on a wooden floor involves temperature gaps. If this is a large area, this gap is left not only along the walls. Temperature joints are formed every 8 meters in length and every 10 meters in width. Also, this gap is provided in the opening along the axis of the door leaf. After laying the laminate on the floor in a wooden house, the slots are closed with an aluminum or plastic profile. This applies to places in the center of the room. Near the wall are used classic skirting boards. To close the gap on the doorway, apply:
- Stepped.
- Z-shaped.
- L-shaped thresholds.
If the conjugate floor covering and the laminate fit perfectly in height, it is recommended to choose a single-level, even threshold. The color of the item may vary.
Why is temperature clearance so important? Everything is simple: the laminate tends to narrow and expand when the humidity level and air temperature change.
Floor mounting
Recently, very often began to use a system such as underfloor heating. Its key feature is that the heat source is located below the floor surface. The heat generated by the system heats the floor, which in turn heats the entire room. The advantages of underfloor heating are obvious:
- Heat is distributed evenly in the room.
- There are no heating elements (batteries) in visible places.
- Dust does not accumulate, as there are no familiar heating radiators.
- High system performance.
Laying a laminate on a warm wooden floor is subject to certain rules:
- Previously, the material warms up for three days. It is important that the laminate adapt to the atmosphere where the underfloor heating is used. After opening the package, the plates are laid out evenly (in any order) on the coating.
- The laminate itself must have a high strength class.
- The substrate must be thin and permeable.
- Heating elements - flexible and durable, able to withstand the load.
First, the old coating is dismantled. Stripping to a concrete base is done. The screed is filled (expanded clay can be used - it keeps heat for a long time).
The riser with hot water changes to polypropylene (to avoid corrosion). then ball valves are soldered to adjust the flow of warm water.
The technology of laying a laminate on a warm floor is no different from the above work. So, the substrate is laid end-to-end, the strips are connected with construction tape. When forming the gap, you need to remember about thermal expansion. And since the floor is now warm, the differences will be more significant. All slots are then covered with skirting boards and aluminum strips.
Repair Cost
If the floor is being repaired in an ordinary panel house, the total cost of materials will not exceed ten thousand rubles. This price includes:
- Plywood (usually 8 sheets).
- Laminate "Kronostar" 31st class.
- Polypropylene laminate underlay. You need to purchase one roll 25 meters long.
- Dowels and screws.
- Plastic baseboard with cable channel.
- Porozhek.
- Stroke around the pipe.
- Corners and connectors for plinth.
Having spent a relatively small amount, we get a smooth and beautiful floor that does not creak when walking. It takes about three days to prepare the old coating. And the laying of the laminate on the old wooden floor takes another day.
Recommendations
Experts give some tips that you should consider when laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands:
- The thickness of plywood must be at least 12 millimeters. Do not save and buy 6 mm sheets. They will be excessively soft. The floor may then bend. The design is unreliable.
- If you are laying the laminate on an uneven wooden floor, you can lay the plywood in two layers, but with offset joints.
- Self-tapping screws should not be too thick and long. Otherwise, it will be difficult to twist them.
- You can not buy a substrate thicker than three millimeters. Due to its elasticity, it is very springy when walking. The coating will be squeezed.
- Waterproofing is carried out only if the material is laid on a concrete base. The rules for laying a laminate on a wooden floor do not provide for the installation of heat and waterproofing, as described above.
- To work, you need a powerful screwdriver. It is advisable to have two batteries. While we are working with one, the second will be charged. This will significantly save installation time.
Conclusion
So, we found out how the laminate is laid on a wooden floor. As you can see, the operation is not laborious, but requires knowledge and patience. Having spent a small amount of money, we will carry out high-quality repairs in an apartment or house and get a good floor covering that can last more than ten years.